Chapter Seven
The next morning, Phoebe and Clara spent the little time they had left with each other. They had breakfast at a local restaurant, spent some time in Piper's club, P3 (the club was closed during the day, so they rearranged Piper's stock of beverages as a joke), the Bay Mirror, the cemetery, and lastly, the Bayside Park.
"You and Dad used to bring us here." Clara said. Phoebe gave her a look.
"Us?" she said, raising an eyebrow.
"Mom, I can't tell you about anything else. I have a feeling Aunt Piper s going to kill me, as it is when I get back. I just remember you and Dad used to sit under this tree while I played on the swing set." Clara said, smiling at the memories
"Sounds almost normal." Phoebe said.
"It was sometimes. Then there was the time I levitated to the top of the slide because I didn't want to climb the ladder again." Clara remembered. Phoebe chuckled.
"You and Dad were so mad. You told me that if I ever used my powers in public again, that you would bind them."
"Why would I say that?" Phoebe asked.
"Demons could track me by my powers. You didn't want me to get hurt." Clara explained. Phoebe grinned.
"Oh, sweetie, this has been fun. I wish it didn't have to end so soon."
"I know, but you aren't even supposed to know you are having me for like a year. I just will be a lot smaller and not such a chatterbox." Clara laughed.
"That soon. Wow, I guess I will be married in a couple months, huh?" Phoebe realized.
"Remarried," Clara muttered under her breath.
"We had better get going, honey." Phoebe said as she got up off the bench and stretched.
"Mom, can I ask you a favor?"
"Sure, sweetie. Anything."
"People can change, and sometimes we should give them a second chance. Even if they don't deserve it. So when a certain unwanted visitor comes around in a couple weeks, can you please try to forgive? It is really important that you do." Clara said.
"Ok , sweetheart." Phoebe agreed understandingly and they headed to the manor.
Back at the house, Piper and Paige were getting ready for Clara's surprise party.
"When it is time for Clara to go, we have to make it as easy as possible for both her and Phoebe." Piper said, and Paige nodded in agreement.
"And no crying." Piper added. Paige gave her a look and grinned as Leo walked into the dining room with an armload of steamers and balloons.
"Where should I put these?" Leo asked.
"On the table, dear." Piper answered.
"We should get going, we only have a half an hour." Paige exclaimed and they hurried to get everything ready.
"Hello?" Phoebe called when she and Clara got home.
"Surprise!" Piper, Paige, and Leo shouted excitedly.
"Surprise!" Wyatt cried, delayed. Clara laughed as she scooped him up into her arms.
"What is all this?" Clara asked, beaming.
"We couldn't let our favorite niece leave this decade without a bang." Paige said, smiling.
"I agree!" Clara said, as she ran her finger through the frosting of her piece of cake and ate it.
After an hour or so, Leo suggested that they send Clara home.
"Before you go," Piper started, "how are future Wyatt and Chris?" Clara grinned.
"They are great. They are the best cousins in the world, other than my cousins at home who none of you know about yet. They are my best friends. I do not know what I would do without them." Clara assured her. Tears started to fill Piper's eyes as she embraced her niece.
"Hey, I thought we were not supposed to cry." Paige said as Clara said good-bye to Leo and the little boys.
"Then why are you?" Piper asked , noticing Paige's tears. Paige acted as if she had no idea what her sister was talking about.
"Aunt Paige, can I ask you a question?" Clara asked, walking over to her.
"Sure, honey, what is it?" Paige answered.
"Is your boyfriend's name Henry?"
"Yes, why?"
"No reason." Clara grinned. Paige gave her a look and laughed.
" I am going to miss you." Paige said.
"I know , but I have to get back to my potion lesson with my favorite tutor." Clara said, hugging Paige and turning to face Phoebe.
"What about me?" Phoebe asked.
"How could I possibly forget about you?" Clara asked, tears clouding her vision as she ran into her mother's arm.
"Oh, sweetheart." Phoebe comforted ,as she held back her tears. " Listen to me. I want you to go back to your life and do everything you normally would do. Especially mind your aunts. Just think, I might be there when you get back. You never know. I love you so much." Phoebe kissed her and Clara walked over to the Book of Shadows. Before she got a chance to find her spell, to groups of glowing orbs swirled around behind her. There stood two young men, both wearing tuxedos and they beamed when they saw Clara.
"Wyatt! Chris!" she cried happily, as she ran into their arms. Everyone smiled.
"Hey, we found you. We have to go. Your graduation ceremony starts in like five minutes and Aunt Paige is trying to get Uncle Henry to wear a tie. It is the funniest thing." Wyatt said as Clara and Chris smacked their foreheads.
"Uncle Henry?" the sisters said in unison. Piper and Phoebe laughed hysterically as Paige stood frozen in shock.
"Well, ok then." Paige said.
"When we get back, you are toast!" Chris said.
"And what is this about graduation?" Phoebe asked.
"Well, you really wanted me to go to a normal high school instead of Magic School, so I could have normal relationships with normal people. But I could not finish my magic school training in time. So Piper and Paige said two years would be ok instead of four."
"I guess some of Piper's obsessive antics about normal life must have rubbed of on you, Phoebe." Leo laughed as Piper rolled her eyes.
"We should go. Not that it matters with time travel but to be safe." Chris said.
"Yeah, he's right. But Clara, where is your dress?" Wyatt asked. Clara snapped her fingers and her dress, the roses and curls returned. They all said good-bye as Wyatt pulled a crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket.
"Aunt Phoebe, will you read our return spell?" He asked. She nodded. Clara, Wyatt, and Chris lined up in front of the Book of Shadows. Piper took a quick picture and the boys moaned.
"Mom!" they groaned. Piper chuckled. Phoebe took a deep breath and started to recite.
"Set in the future,
Set in the past,
Seeing anew what once has passed.
Return them now,
From once they came,
Right when they left, all now the same."
Phoebe blew her daughter a kiss and Clara nodded before burying her face into Wyatt's shoulder to hide her tears. The three of them vanished with a bright light.
